Bystander videos leave impact following Walter Scott shooting

Host 1: A familiar story unfolded in South Carolina last Saturday. A white police officer stopped a black man in a routine violation. Moments later, the driver was dead, and the officer’s gun had been discharged. But this time, there was video evidence.

Gun shots from Walter Scott video (00.04)

Host 2: That’s reported to be the sound of shots from the gun of Officer Michael Slager. He’s been charged with the killing of Walter Scott, a 50 year old father of four, in North Charleston, South Carolina. A passerby shot the video on his phone. But there is another video that came out this week. It was taken from the dashboard of the officer’s car.

Sastry_Dashboard_2WAY: (00.05)

Host 1: This video shows Scott getting out of the car and fleeing his vehicle. What you don’t hear are gunshots.

Host 2: In New York this week, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he wants the police to wear body cameras while they’re on duty, so that there is evidence when an incident is disputed.

DeBlasio: “We’ve seen these painful moments captured on individual citizen’s cell phone cameras. We are going to move more and more to a society where the cameras on police officers are for the good of all.” (00.12)

ANJULI SASTRY: I spoke with Babe Howell, who teaches criminal law at the City University of New York. She says even a bodycam wouldn’t have provided conclusive evidence in the South Carolina incident.

SASTRY_Scott_2Way (TAPE DURATION: 2:52)

INCUE: “When the officer…

OUTCUE: …You’re welcome. Thank you.”

ANJULI: Babe Howell teaches criminal law at CUNY School of Law and was a former criminal defense attorney in New York City.